Collections

Textbooks for Tiger Veterans at McWherter Library

Brannen Varner Collections, Librarians
Photograph
Rachel, the interim coordinator of technical services, processing Textbooks for Tiger Veterans! (Image: Trey Clark/UofM)

The University Libraries is collaborating with Veteran and Military Student Services (VMSS) to house and circulate textbooks for Tiger Veterans. The collection is housed in the Reserves shelving, behind McWherter Library’s Check Out Desk, so that the collection will be reserved just for VMSS students. The Libraries’ Cataloging and Collection Management departments worked hard to process the books in time for the start of fall semester!

View the collection in the Libraries’ catalog. Each book can be checked out for 1 semester to students who are affiliated with the military.

 

University Libraries Digital Repository

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Did you know that the University of Memphis Libraries have a digital repository?

To enhance access to our rich and varied collections, we have digitized a wide range of materials including collection finding aids or guides, primary source documents, still images, and sound and motion recordings, mostly from our Preservation and Special Collections Department. Topics covered include, but are not limited to, Memphis and regional history and culture in general, family and political life, the Civil War and other conflicts, Civil Rights, and the African American community and culture. This is a growing collection and what is displayed here represents only a small fraction of our holdings.

Below are examples of some of the things you will find inside the repository.

This is a photograph of West Tennessee State Normal School(original name for U of M) students using microscopes in the Chemistry Department around 1916 from the University Archives Collection.

 

 

Along with the University Archives, we also have the Musical heritage Collection which features photographs like this one of Isaac Hayes at the Memphis Airport, April 1972.

 

Please contact the  Special Collections Department at 901.678.2210 or stop by the 4th Floor of McWherter Library for further information the collections held within the digital repository.

Test Prep & Career Readiness Tool Available

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The University of Memphis community now has access to Testing & Education Reference Center (TERC), a valuable online tool, from Gale, a Cengage company, that learners can use for standardized test preparation, researching undergraduate and graduate programs, finding tuition assistance and exploring careers. You can can even pursue new career paths with test prep assistance for career certification exams and gain advice on resumes, cover letters, interviewing and networking.

TERC helps guide learners with:

  • Test prep: Full-length, timed practice exams that simulate the actual testing experience for AP, ACT, SAT, PSAT, GED, HiSET and TASC exams. Diagnostic pre-tests help students determine where they stand and how much preparation they need before taking an exam.
  • College planning: Intuitive searches and quick results deliver information on more than 4,000 accredited schools, including school location, tuition, academics, admission requirements, campus life and much more.
  • Financial aid tools: Benefit from an undergraduate scholarship search, financial aid award analyzer, college savings calculator, tuition cost finder and more.
  • Career development: The Resume Builder and Virtual Careers Library tools assist students in building essential career skills—like how to build a resume, cover letter and interviewing tips for users at all career stages. Using the Career Module, tests help users map interests and aptitudes to the most suitable job categories, industries, and occupations.
  • International tools: Helps individuals prepare to pass the TOEFL (iBT), TOEFL (PBT), TOEIC and U.S. Citizenship tests with online practice tests and eBooks.

For more information or help with access, please contact our Research & Information Services Department at 901-678-2208.

 

On-Demand Film Streaming with Kanopy

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The popular on-demand  film  streaming  service  Kanopy  is  available  for  free  at  your University Libraries.  University of Memphis faculty, staff, and students can  start streaming films instantly by visiting  memphis.edu/libraries and searching Kanopy under databases.   Films can  be  streamed  from  any  computer,  television,  mobile  device  or  platform  by  downloading  the  Kanopy  app  for  iOS,  Android,  AppleTV,  Chromecast  or  Roku. If you need assistance, please call the Information Services Desk at 901-678-2208.

The  Kanopy  collection  includes  indie  hits  like  Hunt  For  the  Wilderpeople  and  2  Days  in  Paris,  classic  masterpieces  like  Aguirre,  the  Wrath  of  God  and  Seven  Samurai,  and  award-winning  documentaries  like  the  2017  Oscar®-nominated I  Am  Not  Your  Negro  and  Sundance  Film  Festival  winner  Mother  of  George.

Martin Luther King Speech Now Online

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On July 6, 1965, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., addressed the fifth General Synod of the United Church of Christ in Chicago. A copy of the twenty-page typed text, with hand-written corrections and additions by Dr. King, was purchased in 2017 by Avron B. Fogelman, the prominent Memphis philanthropist and supporter of the University of Memphis. Mr. Fogelman graciously allowed the speech to be displayed in the university’s Ned R. McWherter Library in March and April 2018  as part of the fiftieth anniversary commemoration of Dr. King’s death. To see the speech in its entirety click here.

100+ Languages Are At Your Fingertips: Transparent Language Online Now Available FREE at Your University Libraries.

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Planning a trip out of the country this summer? Taking a foreign language class this summer? Just want to brush up that language you studied, but somehow can’t seem to remember at all? We’ve got you covered.

We are excited to announce that we now offer Transparent Language Online free to all U of M faculty, students, and staff. Whether you’re starting at the very beginning with a new alphabet or you’re an intermediate learner looking to enhance your vocabulary and grammar knowledge, Transparent Language Online can help. Available for learning 100+ languages, plus English as a Second Language (ESL) materials for native speakers of 26+ languages, the program has something for everyone:

  • Alphabet Courses: Full-length alphabet courses are available for 18+ languages to familiarize you with new writing systems, empowering you to learn one (or more!) of those “intimidating” languages like Mandarin Chinese, Hindi, or Arabic.
  • Essentials Courses: These courses guide you through 30+ lessons of pure language fundamentals, including meeting and greeting, expressing wants and needs, planning for a trip, dealing with money, asking for help, and beyond.
  • Supplemental Vocabulary: Hundreds of topically-organized vocabulary lists will teach you thousands of new words and phrases through a completely redesigned suite of fun, interactive activities that build all four core language skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. No more drilling paper flashcards!
  • Grammar Reference: An extensive index of grammar materials rounds out the learning experience, providing both written and multimedia explanations of grammar rules and patterns.

Worried that you won’t be able to learn on your own? A customizable Learning Path allows you to choose what you want to learn, while an integrated analytics system tracks your progress, periodically prompting you to review material that you haven’t seen in a while. It’s like having a built-in teacher there to keep you on track toward your language-learning goals.

Best of all, Transparent Language Online works on any Internet-connected device, so you can learn from your laptop, phone, or tablet.

To learn more about Transparent Language Online and preview the program, swing by the library for a demo or for help signing up for an account. You can also access the program directly at www.memphis.edu/libraries  and typing Transparent Language Online in the database search feature.

Feel free to contact us with any questions at 901.678.2208 or askus@memphis.libanswers.com.

In Their Words: The 1968 Sanitation Strike

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Don’t miss “In Their Words: The 1968 Sanitation Strike” on display on the 1st and 4th floors of McWherter Library. This exhibit pulls directly from primary sources of people that were involved with the 1968 sanitation workers’ strike that brought Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to Memphis. The collection was assembled and created by the Memphis Search for Meaning Committee, an ad hoc, non-profit committee of volunteers lead by Carol Lynn and David Yellin. The committee worked to collect information in the way of interviews, photographs, and other—newer—media such as television video and audio from radio programs and other media outlets. This collection, and the exhibit that follows, provides a snapshot into this time in Memphis and American history.

 

Proquest History Vault: Black Freedom Struggle

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University of Memphis Libraries now has access to  Proquest History Vault’s coverage of the Black Freedom Struggle. It offers the opportunity to study the most well-known and also unheralded events of the Black Freedom Struggle in the 20th Century from the perspective of the men, women, and sometimes even children who waged one of the most inspiring social movements in American history.

This category consists of the NAACP Papers and federal government records, organizational records, and personal papers regarding the Black Freedom Struggle in the 20th Century. The NAACP Papers collection consists of 6 modules. The NAACP Papers collections contains internal memos, legal briefings, and direct action summaries from national, legal, and branch offices throughout the country. It charts the NAACP’s work and delivers a first-hand view into crucial issues. With a timeline that runs from 1909 to 1972, the NAACP Papers document the realities of segregation in the early 20th century to the triumphs of the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and beyond.

Bridging East and West: The First Steel Bridge of Memphis

khggerty Special Collections

The University Libraries would like to invite the campus community to visit the Fall 2017 exhibit, “Bridging East and West: The First Steel Bridge of Memphis.” This exhibit takes you through challenges the railroad industry faced with securing land to build the tracks needed to connect the east and west coasts of our nation, and highlights the technology to move rail cars over geographical obstacles like the Mississippi River. Come and transport yourself back to the end of the 19th century to see original maps, historic photographs, and learn about how Memphis celebrated the opening of the third largest bridge of its kind in the world. On display through Spring 2018.